Building relationships, one cut at a time

November 27, 2013

by Jose Romero

Looking past the spotless decal-labeled windows of 807 Madison Ave, one might notice the 50” flat screen television mounted on the wall, or maybe even the steel, leather trimmed barber chairs looking as if they were pulled straight out of a 1920’s barbershop. Outside, the last of the autumn leaves roll by as customers pass in and out of the doorway. The holiday season draws near, the busiest time for Duke’s Barbershop.

Michael Duker, giving one of his famous straight razor shaves.

Venture inside the shop and meet the man behind it all, Michael Duker, 28. Sporting the latest fashion trends and a neatly trimmed beard, he’s often spotted with either a pair of clippers or his signature straight razor. The Selkirk-born barber, whose father is an electrician and owns student apartments in Albany, and whose mother works for the state, has deep roots in the Albany area. He knows the ins and outs of the city, which was helpful when choosing the right location for his barbershop.

“I wanted to purchase a building, rather than rent and Madison Avenue has better traffic and is more populated than most other places in the area,” he said.

Duker received his associates in business and marketing from Hudson Valley Community College in 2005 before he decided to go to school for barbering at Austin Beauty School on Central Avenue, where he earned a degree in barbering in 2007. He later went on to teach at the school before launching his own barbershop on Delaware Avenue. That spot, though, did not attract enough foot traffic and so in 2009 he closed the shop and reopened on Madison Avenue.

He started with two other barbers and the shop quickly grew in popularity. The barbershop attracts students from The College of Saint Rose, the University at Albany and several other neighboring schools, as well as many older men who pass on their daily commute. At $15 per cut, Duker’s prices are comparable to that of other barbershops in the neighborhood, he offers student and senior discounts and even has a clothing line.

Much of his success however, is attributed to the classic style and feel of the shop. Vintage pictures hang across all of the walls alongside many antique barbering tools which he has collected over time. His father taught him the value of old school products and services.

Outside the shop.

“People envision a barbershop a certain way and I want to keep it that way,” he said.

“Our barbers each bring something different to the table, Doug skateboards and most of his clients are skateboarders, Rocco was a boxer and a lot of his clients are boxers, Freddy is into horses and the track and most of my clients are into either sports or are into fashion like me,” said Duker.

He wants people to feel comfortable and relax and feel a sense of community inside.

“We try to build relationships with people,” Duker said. “When you sit in my chair, I don’t want you just talking to me I want to get the whole shop involved.”

On any given day, the shop is likely to be filled with people; conversing with each of the barbers about sports, television and the latest trends. A key selling point is the shop’s ability to engage the community and customers.

“Duke builds relationships with his clients, he talks to them about sports, sneakers, and fashion…I would say that 95% of his customers are clientele and 5% are walk-ins,” said Rocco Archina, 30, a former marine of nine years and current barber at Duke’s Barbershop.

Fresh off the chair.

Duker displays a passion for his profession; this is evident to those around him. “Duke has wanted to be a barber for as long as I can remember,” said Mike Zanchelli.

“He caters to each client, makes them feel comfortable, he asks how they’re doing and looks for shared interests,” Mike said.

Sometimes, Duker is challenged to find a common interest with some of his newer clients.

“Younger guys who come in are sometimes too caught up in social media or busy on their phones and would rather be texting than having a conversations,” he said. “Sometimes it gets distracting, they’ve got their arms out and head facing down staring at their phone and I have to tell them hey man, you gotta turn your head so I can cut your hair.”

Social media and smartphones have also been a huge asset for Duker, a lot of the traffic that the shop receives is due to its presence on social media. Currently, Duke’s Barbershop is on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The free publicity from these social networks proves invaluable when seeking new clients.

“I try to maintain a presence on social media, we use Instagram a lot and we try to post constantly throughout the day so when you go on there it’s one of those things that’s always in the back of your head,” said the Madison barber.

Duker outside of the shop after a long day.

Even Duker’s business cards aren’t the average paper cards with a name, phone number and address. The cards are designed with minimal text, small printed phone numbers and on the back, they’re filled with social media information. From Instagram and Twitter, to Facebook and even a website, they serve as a medium for connecting with clients socially.

“Being that we’re in a college neighborhood, students have every form of social media. I feel like, especially in this generation, people aren’t apt to try new things and just walk in a place.”

As for himself, Duker prefers to obtain new information the old-fashioned way. Relying on clients and friends for the latest news about what’s going on in the community.

“I meet new people every day, that’s why I like what I do; I might meet someone who could put me on to something new… I hardly look up things, I hear about most places through word of mouth,” he said.

Duker aims at bringing together people from all walks of life, all interested in a common goal, a haircut and possibly a good conversation. “A barbershop is a melting pot of the community… wherever you go; you find a doctor, place to eat, and a barber,” said Duker. -30-